Norma is yet another Swedish band I’ve recently discovered. However this one doesn’t fit into the classic Swedish pop category since they are a genuine rock band. The band hails from Hägersten and has just released their debut album Book of Norma on Novoton/NONS records. Their record is a mixture of ambient and progressive rock comprising of mostly dark compositions with a really full rock sound that is not often found in new bands. I have to be honest, I’m still trying to get a hold of their album but from the tracks on myspace and their debut single Waste I’ve already been persuaded and will continue searching for more of their material. Finally, a band to watch out for…

It's been more than 2 years since the last album release (The Life Pursuit) from our favorite band from Glasgow and something more than 12 years since their debut back in 1996 with Tigermilk. Unfortunately there are no news of any new material coming our way but we'll have to settle with a new collection featuring tracks they dug out of the BBC archives. The collection features some of their early recordings from 1996 up to 2001 and is accompanied by a second disc containing tracks performed on December 21, 2001 at the Belfast Christmas show. Full track listing follows (courtesy of Pitchfork) along with one of our favorite tracks, Dog On Wheels, which is however not featured in this collection.

Disc Two - Live in Belfast (12/21/01):01 Here Comes the Sun02 There’s Too Much Love03 The Magic of a Kind Word04 Me and the Major05 Wandering Alone06 The Model07 I’m Waiting for the Man08 The Boy With the Arab Strap09 The Wrong Girl10 Dirty Dream #211 The Boys Are Back in Town12 Legal Man

PS. Belle is one of the few favorite bands that I still haven't seen live and I'm just dying to..

Dark Dark Dark (nice name btw) is a strange band from Minneapolis with a unique sound. For starters, the band utilizes mostly a banjo, piano, strings, accordion, and vocals (yeap, no guitars or drums in most cases). Their music is something between late 1800’s and early 1900’s, mixing Balkan traditional music with gypsy influences and down-tempo old folk songs. It all sounds too old-fashioned for most people’s tastes, but don’t rush into rejecting them..

Snow Magic is the band’s debut album (out Oct 21st on Blood Onion Records) which also features local artist Martin Dosh on some occasional drums. The album is surprisingly good, setting the scene right from the first track Ashes. It has a general tone of melancholy but without digging too deep into depression. It’s more of a magical trip into the start of the previous century, with beautiful strings and accordion setting the tune while the vocals unroll the stories. Those of you that are fans of Beirut may find similarities in the genre, but there is no mimicking of any kind in this album. The band shows real talent in their debut and for me it proved a really refreshing change. Guess sometimes you need to take a good look into the past before stepping forward..

So, I finally made this one! Saturday night, after a pint of Guinness (since An Club didn't open until 22.00) and there we were just in front of the small stage with a second beer in our hands awaiting for the Magic to appear on stage. This took a while longer since the band finally made their appearance a few minutes before 23.00, but who cared? (not me definitely, since after Animals Collective's solo trip, we were in full company this time)

The club was quite packed (but not a full house by all means) and the atmosphere was just perfect for quickly diving into Piano Magic's dreamy guitar sound. The guys (and gal) were in a cheerful mood and felt right at home by the crowd (they keep coming back to Athens every year so they must be quite familiar with the local scene/crowd by now). What followed was something more than an hour of really beautiful music from new and old material (including a Dead Can Dance cover). The small stage of An Club really suits the band and the crowd made sure that this was going to feel like a pleasant Saturday night-out hanging around with friends on the local pub, while enjoying your favorite tracks. All in all, a really nice performance; if only it didn't cost 35 euros :-)

Quick question to our readers out there. Did anyone see Fuck Buttons at An Club on Monday? I totally forgot they where playing (and so wanted to see them live...). I guess it only proves that Monday ain't the best date for a gig in this city :-)

Probably most people expected this blog to post about Obama's victory. Well, since music is our real candidate here, I decided to post some of the upcoming live dates that have been announced for Athens the following months instead. There are indeed some good acts coming and hopefully even more to be announced. In red are my favorite ones that I hope to attend.

The time has come; we are only 1 day away from the presidential elections in the US and Lewis Hamilton all the way from Brazil has led the way. Yesterday was victory no.1 with Lewis winning the F1 world championship in a dramatic Brazilian GP, but the best is (hopefully) yet to come with tomorrow's showdown in the US. Until then, let's just sit back and watch how Obama's candidacy actually turns out. Change? O' the Times...

It's been quite a while since I last posted on this blog. It could be because of constant overtimes at work or perhaps because I'm finally in love again...Whichever the case, I need to find more time for posting and primarily for seeking new music (it's been ages since I had proper time to sit down and listen to new tracks). The only thing I managed to give a listen to is the new album by X/-, Xs on your Eyes. Instantly lovable, obviously indie and with a new clip out for their single Snowblind.

PS. We were finally able to add the new Followers gadget so feel free to be the first (and perhaps last) to follow Athens66..

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The Team

Athens66 started off as a common project by a bunch of friends but quickly turned into almost a personal blog (although some remains of previous posts can still be found). Currently, the Team has been narrowed down to two members, who besides being old friends and schoolmates share the same joy for Music, Movies, Alcohol and Pro Evolution sessions.

The sole purpose of this blog is to shout out whatever comes in mind about movies, music, reality, fantasy and all the rest. Nothing posted here is to be taken seriously, but then again what is? Since this blog is still quite fresh, we are definitely open to suggestions and directions (although most of them will just be ignored)

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If you want to recommend us a new group, advertise on our blog or just bitch about the things we post, just send us an email at martdnv [at] gmail [dot] com and we'll get in contact with you!

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